Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-21

The above paragraphs are taken from q
single issue OF the Panhandle News, pub
lished at Clarendon. One Of them ep-
pears in Its local and the other in it's edito-
rial columns. Their significance is fully
developed in the statement that both re-
fer to the same section of country, and
that one is the sequel of the other. The
facts are, as THE GAZETTE learns from
credible sources, that settlements are be-
ing made in Armstrong county which
threaten the evasion by "nesters" OF one
Of the largest pastures in the
Panhandle. his pasture includes some
thing near million acres of land, of
which about $4,000 acrt belong to the
state. It was enclosed three or four
years ago, without authority from the
state, and since that time the occupants
have enjoyed the benefits of the enclosure
without the contribution of cent to the
school fund The steady approach of in
migration seems to have wrought change
of policy on the part of the occupants.
At the very mement that the foot of
the settler is raised to cross
the wire fence which encloses this
rich domain belonging to the state the
placard is hoisted: "This land is held
under an absolute lease from the state.
Parties disregarding our rights will be
vigorously prosecuted"
II The object of THE GAZETTE was to
crafty its own vanity it would be content
to call attention to the remarkable full
fllment, within three months after an
absolute lease law went into effect, of its
worst predictions as to the operations of
the leasing system. Within q week has
come the startling intelligence of per-
emptory order by an English cat
tie company for the abandon
ment of their homes by thirty families
which have settled within its range, and
the significant warning by three other
great lessees that settlers who cross their
boundary lines will be vigorously prose-
cuted. This simultaneous action by the
four heaviest lessees OF school lands is
not en- accident or the inspiration of
hasty impulse. Men with such vast in
t4rests depending on their movements
do not act without careful study of
the probable results. The lease inter-
ests have never before dared
to defy settlement, but have
ingeniously sought to convince the peo-
pie Of the state that they were in SYM
patty with the development OF the west.
That they have succeeded but too well is
made plain by their action now In tearing
OF the mask, so long assumed, and
placarding their pastures with the warn
ing that sill those who ignore "their
rights" will be vigorously prosecuted"
An absolute lease system is part of our
statutory law; the leases have been made,
and at last the holders of the big
pastures are enabled to say in the name
OF the law, what they have been mutteripg
under their breath since the tide OF i'm
migration first turned westwar1-"Keep
OF"
The pasture interests cannot be con-
demned for attempting to reserve to them
selves the public domain. Self-protec- |
ton is the first law Of nature, and they
but obey 1t when they seek by all avail
able methods to prevent settlement. |
There are twenty or thirty wealthy cor
porations and individuals engaged in the
cattle business on large scale, On the
school lands, that will be forced by the
OF these lands either to close
put their business or emigrate. They do
not desire to do either. They are de-
termined not to relinquish their hold
upon this great territory of the state, SO